Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-10-06
APlea For the College.

| 1t shall be year Oh SUCCESSFUL "OIh,
depends on many things.
A college is not built i'll one year,
or even two. a handsome, commod-
diou sbuilding is not all that is needed.
You may give chase for each depart
ment the best apparatus that can be OBJ
| tanned, and then add competent,
efficient corps of instructors, and still
you may not have college. 1t takes
time and effort, self sacrifice on the part
of many, patience and the faith of
martyrs OH the part of all, before the
culture and excellence of school
worthy to be called college can be
obtained.
Kansas is deservedly proud of her
free school system, and of her higher
educational institutions, the success of
which speaks volumes for her progress
onward and upward, She boasts of
her fertile soil, her healthful climate,
the ease and rapidity with which on
coming thousands are finding comfort
able homes within her borders, bnt of
no one thing has she a better right to
boast than that she has given to the
children of the State, not only the ia
cilities of a good public school system,
but she has made it no longer necess-
airy that her youth shall be sent to the
distant school of the east, in order to
receive instructions in the higher de-
partmentS of education. The restless,
energetic spirit of the west is no longer
content to stand one side and watch
this work done for them, but rather,
takes up its own responsibilities and
learns how to do by doing.
Says Carlyle, ''Tell me what a mans
religion is, and will tell you what
that man is; tell me what a nations
religion is, and I will tell you what
that nation is" Had this man who
habituated himself to look deep into
the nature of things been little more
specified he might have added. Tell
what attention the religious and: edu-
cational interests of a community re-
ceives from its people, and 1 will tell
you the general character of that COM
munity and even predict it's future.
If it be true that the best advertisement
of a state is found in the quantity and
quality of her schools, it is no less true
of a city or town for the same reason,
namely, that is not only attracts num-
erically more people, but better peo-
pie, an advantage, bringing in it's train
many others.
The far-seeing, enterprising people
of Great Bend surely OWNED something
of this when they located their college.
Situated as it is, in busy thriving
city, upon whose streets may be heard
the constant hum of industry, and stir
of business, with solid and tangible
proofs OF the generosity and enterprise
OF her people to be seen on every hand,
surrounded by a good moral and re-
ligious atmosphere, churches within
easy reach, centrally located, accessi-
bic to railroads. Certainly all the
REQUESTS are at hand necessary for the
building up of an institution that
shall be an honor to the city and a
source of pride to the county st large.
And yet this anfant college must be
murtured carefully and constantly if it
is to attain to full growth and
vigor. Unlike some of the products
of our soil, it is not enough to plant it
and it will grow Its future strength
and usefulness depend upon the care
it now receives. Then let the people
of Great Bend come to it's support,
let them remember not only the con-
nectiOn between school of this kind
and material results, that intelligence
is the motive power of trade, and that
science makes the wheel of progress to
revolve, but that it is only by means
OF the most complete education and
developement of the best mental forces
that humanity can rise into a higher
type of social evolution.
Let the people of this city take hold
of this enterprise with the push and
goaheadativeness that has character
lied all their other undertakings, let
them forget small jealousies and
petty antagonisms, forget he''mistakes
that have been made, lend it your
strongest support, in money i'm patron
age, in good will'' and ''good words"
and the time is not far distant when
you shall not only ''double your own
Investment" but it shall be a monu-
ment of your generosity now, and
fair heritage to YOur children here
after.
A. j. HoIsINGTON, president of the
old Arkansas Valley Editorial Associa-
ton, has called for the old bows and